“The rally is finished and I am so grateful that I got a shot as a co-driver in Garry’s buggy. We did well. Two newbies to the vehicle and to our tasks, as well as being in a team, the Connell/Seel team. Both of us very experienced on the motorcycle back, but it is different to do racing in a buggy and doing it together. A win in our class, and a fourth in the total, a result of our teamwork. Makes me proud.

It has truly been yet another great adventure and competition which has given me more experience of desert rallying, a lot of new first-time situations technically, mechanically and physically. Those flat tires really wears you out, let me tell you. But all in all I feel that I am still learning and developing for the future.

I really don’t think that I’ve realized just how much I’ve been missing it all until I arrived here last weekend. I do believe this is me – the rally, the desert, the race. It will always be a part of me. And I want more of it.”

Garry:

“When we took the start, we started ‘attacking’ the soft sand small dunes… Everything was going well until I took a hole a bit fast and got trapped in the sand… We lost about 25 minutes, but happy to have made it in spite of the problems.

In front of the dunes of Merzouga, we deflated our tires. But… one of us pushed a button with the helmet and launched the fire extinguisher and we took a shower of dust!

The Rally of Merzouga was a great training for the Dakar, last week I was in the Rally of Morocco – makes two continued races. Next goal: The Dakar, next January!”

This has been a great experience for both, learning a lot, much training – and preparing for The Dakar…